Car: Ford Mondeo ST-Line Edition Estate 2.0 Hybrid ECVT Auto
FORD has done a bit of revamping of its Mondeo Hybrid Estate. The previous version felt rather flat and the Atkinson cycle engine did everything to make it sound like it was helping with the effort but actually appeared to do very little as regards forward motion.
Now step into the latest Hybrid Estate model and Ford has made some changes to the 2.0-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine that makes more of the torque to provide a more linear experience. The progress is more graceful and less frenetic sounding.
To help the Estate car eke out its fuel, there’s also electrically powered steering and air conditioning, which help to prevent drag on the engine and lower fuel consumption
However, the Ford Mondeo Hybrid is not a car if you want to beef it around some tasty A-roads. It only exposes the limitations of the powertrain – fairly lacklustre performance with an asthmatic response when you put your foot down.
So that’s the negatives out of the way.
What you do get, though, is a fabulous motorway mile eater. A car that can dispatch the miles as well as any diesel, but with a quieter soundtrack. Our overall mpg was 48.6mpg with a 70/30 mix of motorway to local driving. That’s not top end diesel economy but it’s close for a large estate car. Often hybrids fail to deliver the sort of fuel economy that the official figures promise: but this is bang on the quoted range of 47.9-50.4mpg.
And the other great thing you get is the silence.
The silence when you start and drive away in battery only mode – it’s a calming and soothing experience. (As indeed is the electric blue graphic that shows when battery regeneration is taking place.)
The combination provides a very relaxed ambience within the car that’s obviously not full-fat EV but it’s a good stepping stone towards it.
Does a Ford Mondeo Hybrid work for fleet?
For business customers making a first step towards electrification, then the Mondeo Hybrid does do the job.
Using the BCF Wessex Gensen Whole Life Cost Calculator, the Hybrid Estate will cost £572 a month (headline rental £356 ex VAT), while the equivalent ST-Line diesel Estate will cost a total of £677 a month (headline rental of £432 + VAT). This is based on a 3+33 profiles at 20,000 miles a year.
It’s also better on BIK for drivers – the Hybrid Estate playing a monthly BIK of £309 against the Diesel Estate’s £388 a month.
Mondeo Hybrid Verdict
This latest version of the hybrid Mondeo, with its 1.4 kWh lithium-ion battery providing the self-charging hybrid assistance, is very likeable, works well if you don’t push it and will cover those motorway miles at an economical rate that’s almost as good as a diesel. What’s more its CO2 emissions are lower than the diesel. For business drivers who cover the miles and need the estate configuration, it makes a lot of sense, it’s cheaper to run than the diesel and, of course, there’s no range anxiety to worry about. As a first step towards electrification, it’s a good one.
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